peanut butter-miso cookies

(adapted from Krysten Chambrot)

Ingredients:

1 ¾ cups/225 grams all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ cup/115 grams unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature

1 cup/220 grams light brown sugar

½ cup/100 grams granulated sugar

⅓ cup/80 milliliters white miso paste

¼ cup/60 milliliters chunky peanut butter

1 large egg

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

½ cup/105 grams Demerara sugar, plus more as needed

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter, light brown sugar and granulated sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Add the miso and peanut butter to the mixing bowl, and continue to mix at medium speed, about 1 minute. Scrape down sides of the bowl to make sure all of the ingredients are evenly incorporated and mix again. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until just combined.

Add one third of the flour mixture to the mixing bowl and mix on low speed until the flour mixture is incorporated. Repeat with remaining flour mixture in two batches until all of it is incorporated. Take care not to overbeat. 

Place the bowl with the cookie dough in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes to allow the dough to firm up slightly.

Place 1/2 cup Demerara sugar into a small bowl. 

One at a time, scoop out 2 heaping tablespoons of dough (about 50 grams per cookie) and roll each portion between your hands until it is nice and round. Drop the dough ball into the bowl of Demerara sugar and turn to coat. 

Transfer each ball to a small rimmed baking sheet, taking care they do not touch. Repeat with all of the dough. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours and up to overnight. The longer the dough is refrigerated the more the flavors will meld and the mellower the flavor will be.

When ready to bake, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and space each dough ball 3 inches apart. 

Bake the cookies for about 12 minutes, until crisp at the edges and slightly puffed in the middle. At this point they should still be a bit underdone in the center. 

Pull out the baking sheet and hit it against the top of the stove. This will cause the cookies to deflate. Place the cookies back into the oven to finish baking for about 2 minutes more or until the cookies are firm at the edges and slightly puffed in the center.

Once again pull the baking sheet out and hit the baking sheet on top of the stove. The cookies should appear flat and crinkly at the center.

Let the cookies cool on a baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely.

Store the cookies in an airtight container; they should retain their chewy texture for a few days.

Makes 15-18 cookies